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Porsche 911 R might be manual-only with a GT3 engine

Two of Porsche's best cars only come with two pedals and a PDK transmission. That automatic is inarguably one of the very best on the planet, but it's still not the same. The debut of the latest Porsche 911 GT3 was met with much moaning and groaning when it was revealed it would be PDK-only. A rumor from our friends at Car and Driver could signal that three-pedal fans may finally get the Porsche they really want. C/D is claiming that Porsche might resurrect the 911 R badge for a limited-edition Carrera. Such a vehicle would feature not only a nearly 500-horsepower, naturally aspirated flat-six derived from the GT3's engine, but also a do-it-yourself manual transmission. We're betting it'd be the Carrera's well-regarded seven-speed manual, provided it could handle the output. As for how this car will look, that is perhaps the most exciting angle. According to C/D, Porsche insiders called the 911 R "a wolf in sheep's clothing," describing subdued sheetmetal that won't trumpet this car's high-performance nature. Yes, there's could be a sleeper 911. We'll keep our eyes open for anything that corroborates Car and Driver's rumor, but until then, take this news with a grain of salt. If the 911 R does see the light of day, it will likely be in March at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. News Source: Car and Driver Rumormill Geneva Motor Show Porsche Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance rumor porsche 911 r

Porsche sells final 918 Spyder amidst excellent year of sales

2014 has been a banner year for Porsche, as the company has moved over 169,000 units through November, an increase of around 12,000 units over the same period in 2013. During last month alone, the company's sales saw a year-over-year jump of 25 percent. The European market, meanwhile, saw an 18-percent jump in sales, while its North American efforts have jumped 13 percent. "This strong November is evidence that our strategy is working extremely well," Porsche board member Bernhard Maier said in the accompanying statement. "It also confirms our commitment to taking advantage of every opportunity presented in the global markets." Those notable sales gains aside, this latest sales report comes with some bad news for the overwhelming majority of Porsche fans – the last 918 Spyder has been sold. All 297 cars have been spoken for, with US deliveries set to begin soon. According to Porsche, there are currently around 100 Spyder owners spread across Germany and China. Porsche exceeds previous year's sales by November Last unit of the 918 Spyder sold Atlanta. Porsche AG increased global deliveries to customers from January to November this year to more than 169,000 vehicles, already exceeding the overall total for 2013 of 162,145 new vehicles. This represented a growth of 15 percent over the same period last year (January to November 2013: 147,290 vehicles). In the month of November, Porsche delivered 17,700 vehicles – an increase of one quarter over the same month last year. "This strong November is evidence that our strategy is working extremely well," said Bernhard Maier, Member of the Executive Board – Sales and Marketing of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. "It also confirms our commitment to taking advantage of every opportunity presented in the global markets." In Europe, Porsche delivered 54,500 vehicles from January to November 2014 – an increase of 18 percent over the previous year, with the domestic German market accounting for 22,200 of the sales. The American region also showed a significant 13 percent increase over last year with a total of 51,600 deliveries. In addition, November announced the finality of sales for the 918 Spyder hybrid super sports car. With a limited run of 918 units, the majority of the cars – 297 – will be shipped from the Zuffenhausen manufactory to buyers in the USA. In both Germany and China there are already around 100 proud new owners who have taken delivery of the super sports car.

Porsche patent sketches show removable headrest wind deflector

While driving around in a convertible might seem glamorous, ask anyone with long hair and they'll likely tell you how it really is: the wind buffets, your hair goes everywhere and it's anything but glamorous. That's why you see so many convertibles driving with their tops up, their windows up or wind deflectors in place. But Porsche is apparently preparing to kick it up to the next level.
These patent drawings have leaked out, demonstrating what appears to be some new kind of wind-deflecting device being developed by Porsche. The mechanism is apparently fitted to the headrest itself and designed to keep the wind buffeting specifically around the head down to a minimum while allowing the car's occupants to enjoy the top-down driving experience.
No word on when it might hit the market, but we won't be surprised to see this kind of device appear on a future version of the Boxster or 911 Cabriolet. But nowhere else: despite the apparent leak, the patent drawings suggest that Porsche will be keeping this technology proprietary. Whether sister brands like Volkswagen, Bentley or Lamborghini will get their hands on it remains to be seen.